Chapter Text
Go forth Phainon of Aedes Elyseae…
The one spited by the gods...
The one spited by the gods...
Tell you story…
Phainon of Aedes Elyseae had always been a patient man, but every man had their limits and after ten years of war he had reached his.
The war would end right now and he and all the other soldiers would return to their families.
Phainon would return to his husband and son no matter what.
oh, the gods had such a wicked sense of humor, hadn’t he and Mydei had gone through enough? hadn’t they proved the gods time and time again that they were meant to be together? Why must they be tried yet again? Not even Cyrene had an answer to that.
He had met Mydei when his father, king Eurypon, had sent him as an envoy representing the realm of Kremnos for Cyrene’s coming of age ceremony. In truth he, as well, as many other guests, was sent as suitor for the crown princess.
Aedes Elyseae was a small kingdom, not very important to the rest of Amphoreus but on that day all eyes were on them for two reasons.
The first and most important one was that Aedes Elyeseae was one of the very few in which women were allowed to ascend to the throne by birthright, granted they were married that is, but in the Elysean law men were also required that.
That made Phainon’s sister one of the most desired partners on Amphoreus, every high ranking knight and second prince craved for her hand…only Phainon knew that she had already decided to renounce the crown in order to become a priestess, that the true heir to the throne would be him.
The second reason so many men visited their domain was because, as part of the entertainment for the celebration they had arranged a tournament in which the visitors could measure themselves against Aedes Elyseae’s unbeatable warrior, the man that had protected the island nation against an army by himself earning himself the moniker of “Deliverer of Dawn”, Phainon himself.
He couldn’t say he wasn’t enjoying the opportunity to fight new people, his small nation offered very little in terms of training partners, but to his dismay most of the other warriors were appallingly bad. Not in the sense that they were weak, most of them had more strength and battle experience than Phainon himself but they were overconfident and sincerely stupid… With just tricks Phainon had them all surrendered on the floor.
“Don’t get arrogant, Phainon…it’ll be your undoing as it is theirs” Had the voice of the god of reason whispered in the wind that day. He knew he was right but it was impossible not to, not when he was showing up for all amphoreus to see why he was the best there was, why the very god of reason had chosen him.
Phainon knew the advice was more like a warning when the next challenger stepped into the arena. Mydeimos, the crown prince of Kremnos and another one of the gods' favorites. Rumors differed on whether he had just been chosen by Nikador, the god of war, or if in reality he was a demigod, son of the deity.
The longer they spent in the arena, fighting each other with everything they got, the more he understood the rumors. He was not only strong but pretty smart too, he fought like it was the only thing he knew what to do and Phainon had sincerely struggled to keep up. For once they both were giving their 100% and yet the night fell and no winner had been decided.
The tournament was closed to start the banquet and that night Mydiemos surprised the Elysean requesting another match.
“There is no word for tie in the kremnoan language” he had said that night and Phainon had accepted the challenge.
The next day they woke up at the break of dawn and fought, till the night again reclaimed them… and the next day…and the next one…only after the 10 days the accumulated tiredness made a dent on the performance of the relentless warriors and even so, no winner was decided.
Phainon didn’t know it back then, but right there, laying on the arena completely exhausted, he had fallen in love.
For all he wanted to believe the rest of their story had been a fairytale, it had also been hard.
A few months later Mydei returned to train under the Elysean’s, it was common for princes to do that but everybody knew the real reason for king Eurypon to send his son to Aedes Elyseae. Cyrene had managed to fend off all the marriage proposals coming her way so the kremnoan king was taking another approach, sending his son as a friend, as someone who could win the princess over by seduction rather than diplomacy.
Except that Mydei didn’t seem interested at all in Phainon’s sister. Actually, he spent most if not all his time with Phainon.
Both princes spent their days training and leading the army. They defended the island and helped around town whenever a strong hand was needed. Phainon wasn’t sure his friend had spoken to Cyrene once.
It was only a year later as both princes patrolled the coasts of Aedes Elyseae that Phainon was finally brave enough to ask and got an answer.
“I don’t get it, aren’t you the heir to Kremnos? shouldn’t he want you to marry a princess of a richer kingdom?”
“My father does not want me on the throne. I have no interest on women… he says that if I can’t sire and heir then I’m of no use for Kremnos… in our culture the tittle of king goes to the best warrior, he knows my brothers have no chance against me but if I marry a princess that stands to inherit a kingdom then it wouldn’t be shameful for me to leave kremnos and one of my brothers can take the crown”
“But you claim to have no interest in women, Cyrene is a woman”
“I know that, idiot” he took a deep breath “Have you seen me even try to get closer to her since I arrived?... don’t worry, despite my father’s plan I have no intention of deceiving your dear sister, once she marries I’ll just pretend to be defeated and search for another way to avoid a succession war back home” he looked like he wanted to add something more but bit his tongue.
“I think I can offer you another option, but before, let’s return to you not being interested in women”
“You are awfully fixed on that, yes Deliverer, I prefer men, it’s not so hard to understand!”
“I needed to be sure, if only so I don’t make a fool of myself for what I’m going to say next”
“If you really hadn’t noticed I’ve been courting you for a whole year then you already are a fool”
“I didn’t want to come off as arrogant. I’ve lost less important battles because of that”
“And this one, do you think you’ll win it?”
“If the prize is your hand then there is no way I’ll lose”
They both smiled as they reached for a kiss and for just one instant Phainon’s life was absolutely perfect.Then disaster struck.
A huge earthquake shaked the island the night after and when they managed to return to the city they found it in ruins.
Most buildings were destroyed beyond repair, dozens of people had died, many more had lost their means of living, during the night the sea had risen and a huge part of their crops were ruined.
For once, Phainon didn’t know what to do. He prided himself on always having a plan, but for that he didn’t. What were his people going to do?
Mydei had held his hand proudly and pushed him forward. He had led the way through the city, stopping to help people trapped inside buildings, ordering the soldiers to set camps. Making himself useful, acting like a sovereign should. Phainon did his best to keep up.
He hadn’t told Mydei about Cyrene’s plan yet, but Phainon couldn’t help but think he was going to make an amazing king consort. He had to step up, to be on the same level.
When they finally made it to where the palace used to be it was almost night and only a pile of stones awaited for them. His father was among the victims, and he couldn’t even mourn him as he realized he was expected to take the lead now, to return everything back to normal.
He couldn’t mourn, couldn’t tell his mother and sister that he and Mydei were in love, and still hadn't told Mydei about Cyrene’s plan. Yet the hand holding his had given him strength; instead of addressing the whirlwind of feelings he had started planning.
That night Phainon had drafted a reconstruction plan, it would be a lot of work but his people were nothing but hardworking, they just needed him to guide them.
“Food, without crops we won’t make it through the winter” Mydei pointed as they crowded around the sole candle they had managed to keep. Everybody else had already retired to sleep, or at least try to.
“We can still sow some more, not enough but surely…no, we will have to get in debt”
“Unless…marriage, my father is willing to offer a thousand cattle heads for anyone who marries me, and we could forge an alliance. Kremnos can help the reconstruction…I know this is not what Cyrene…or I ...would want but…”
“No, not that”
“Be sensible Phainon, being royal means we owe ourselves to the people and they are going to starve if we don’t solve this”
“You are truly made out to be a king…I, on the other hand, am too selfish, I don’t want to give you away, not when I just got you…wait! I think I have an idea but first I have to know…how do you feel about deceiving your father?”
“not terribly sorry”
“Just what I was hoping to hear”
Meanwhile Mydei and Cyrene led the reconstruction of the town, carefully following his plan, Phainon traveled to Kremnos to strike a deal. An alliance by marriage, the first prince of kremnos and the crown heir to Aedes Elyseae. Once reconstruction was complete Aedes Elyseae would offer preferential trade on essential crops to Kremnos and the two nations would mutually aid each other on military conflicts. He knew he was giving Eurypon all he wanted, he not only would retain Mydei by his side during any conflict but also gain Phainon. Kremnos was not rich in food, they more than once had gone to war for crops, the deal would stop that. And he was getting his son married just like he wanted, he had not seen the trick coming till the day of the ceremony when Mydei and Phainon stood under the altar and became kings of Aedes Eliseae.
Phainon had caught his face on the crowd when he had realized his son wasn’t marrying a woman like he had planned but he couldn’t muster the energy to feel bad for his father in law.
That deal had saved his people, and Mydei by his side had kept him going. Everything was back on the right track and the hardship only made them stronger.
The gods yet again set sights on them a few years later.
They were lounging in their newly constructed palace, the one they had erected with their own hands, when a well known figure had entered the room.
It wasn’t strange for Cyrene to enter their halls without even announcing herself but she was supposed to be in a silent retreat on the temple of time, thanking the gods for their people’s good fortune.
Also, there was something strange about her, her smile was too solemn, her hair too long.
“Oh Cyrene, what a nice surprise, Mydei made peach tarts with the fruit you brought from mom house the other day”
“My hard work harvesting finally has a reward” She happily reached for the sweets on the table but Phainon quickly grabbed her hand and signaled Mydei to reach for his weapon.
“Cyrene hasn’t been to mom’s house in a month, it’s not even peaches season. Who are you?”
“Oh my, Oh my, of course you would notice… Anaxa has made a truly amazing job raising you. The smartest king… and his husband the strongest warrior of humanity, a love story worthy of legends, you went through so much together and not once your love wavered, it was beautiful to observe”
“My husband asked you a question, stranger” Mydei pointed his lance towards the fake Cyrene’s neck
“Treathening a goddess might not have been your smartest move, especially not one bearing gifts”
“Goddess?”
“Something like at least, I might not be part of your revered Pantheon but only because I’m something even more ancient than your gods…you people call us Demiurge. As for name, you can call me Elysia”
“The goddess of love?”
“Ding, Ding, Ding!That’s why you are the smart one, Phainon”
The goddess had not offered a gift as she had said but a challenge. She would put them through 5 trials, not like the ones they had overcome before, this time she would put their love against the cords and see if it survived the hardships. If they managed, she’d grant them the ability to sire a child.
Nowadays Phainon would say the challenge had been easy, that in no moment he had doubted Mydei’s love and devotion, but it was only a cover, that challenge had been the worst time of his life and a period he would rather forget, yet, they had managed, together as they always did.
“Very well my mortals, this is your final test, you already proved to me how much you love each other but what about your future child? Who would offer their body to grow them? Remember none of you have the organs necessary so the process would be terribly painful”
“Me” both men answered, no hesitation.
If the goddess wanted to say anything more she couldn’t because the husbands started arguing like she had never seen them before. Hours passed and no decision seemed to ever be taken.
“Phainon, be rational. Nikador’s blessing makes me nearly immortal…let’s use it, women die on childbirth all the time, imagine how more dangerous it would be for a man, I can’t lose you”
Mydei’s own mother had died giving birth to him. Phainon knew it, he could also recognize the fear in his husband's eyes. He, for once, conceded.
Their son, Gorgo, was brought into the world nine months later and suddenly Phainon’s life seemed perfect. He immediately fell in love with the little boy who looked like the perfect mix between Phainon and Mydei and so did the rest of the kingdom, happiness seemed to spread from their little bundle of joy into the city state. He should have known perfect things never lasted forever.
A letter from Eurypon had arrived. Instead of congratulating them for their newborn he was cashing on the agreement they had made years ago. Kremnos was going to war and their allies were expected to follow suit.
They had weighted their options but they knew they had no chance if they were to cross such a big city state. They had to go support them, and it had to be Phainon who led the Elyseans.
Mydei had argued longly but he was not stupid, he knew his body was still recovering, this time Phainon had more chances at survival…at returning home.
It was supposed to only last a few months… ten years had gone by.
By now surely Gorgo was already branding a sword, or did he favor the spear as his other father?
The fat of infancy should have already left his face, how did his face look like now?
He knew Mydei was raising him well but he wished he had been there to see him grow up. Take his first steps, read him the old legends, teach him how to tend the crops.
He didn’t know how it was possible but he missed them more and more with each passing day… and he couldn’t wait anymore.
“This siege has already lasted too long”
“And that’s your plan? surrender?”
All the other generals seemed to drill arrows through his skull with their eyes. Phainon knew it would happen, so he let them speak. It was part of his plan.
“Hyselens gave her life to win this war and you pretend to make her sacrifice mean nothing?”
“How can we go back home now, after ten years, completely empty handed?”
“If Emperor Cerydra was still alive she would have your head for this”
“But she isn’t, neither is her dux gladiorum, a knight we all thought immortal, they are dead along with countless of our brothers in arms” He retored, calm and collected, that made everyone even angrier.
“They must be spitting at you from the afterlife, Phainon of Aedes Eliseae.”
“If it takes us all back home alive then it’s worth be spitted by the dead”
“Traitor!”
“Coward!”
“You are a disgrace!”
“Of course you’d say that, you have lost nobody here, you don’t have to tell families their loved ones died for nothing!”
“Ok, let’s stop…you already berated my dear brother in law long enough” Hephaestion, the de facto leader of the amphorean alliance after Cerydra’s death cut off the whirlwind of voices filling the strategy meeting. He smiled in Phainon's way. He wasn’t sure if it was good or bad, Mydei’s brothers had never liked him that much and in truth he couldn’t blame them.
Despite Eurypon’s wishes, the younger princes all unanimously supported Mydei as the next king of Kremnos. Therefore when he had voluntarily gone to Aedes Elyesae and gotten married to the king of a small island city state instead of inheriting the powerful Kremnos they had been outraged. How dared Phainon deprive them of their best warrior and future king? How dared Phainon to stand on the battlefield, in the place that rightfully belonged to Mydei?
They hated him and now that Eurypon had died without naming an heir the feeling had only strengthened.
“Why so quiet Phainon of Aedes Eliseae? You usually can't shut up” Perdikkas, another of the brothers, added. So they were in agreement, that only got him more nervous.
“Nobody who has seen this man fight for the last ten years would call him a coward, so what’s the real plan?” That was Peucesta, it confirmed them being in understanding, as for why they were helping Phainon he didn’t know.
“I should have known I couldn’t fool you, my dear brothers in law” Using the same words of Hephaestion back at them got him a humorous smile from him, maybe he really was winning them over “As I’m sure all the smart men in this tent already know, I’m not proposing a real surrender but all of you caught on and started acting according to the plan already, because for this to work out we must make the enemy think that I really proposed retreat and you begrudgedly followed, completely hopeless after losing our strongest warrior”
“You think Caenis won’t suspect?”
“She is arrogant to a fault, she wants to believe herself stronger than us, will do anything to believe it. As long as the information doesn’t go out I can assure you she will fall for it”
He had their attention, by calling them smart he had assured nobody could go against him at risk of seeming stupid. All that was left was explaining his plan and getting them to agree.
It was instant, just like he expected. Before the next dawn the plan would be in action and maybe in a month he would be home to his son and husband.
As he was leaving the strategy tent that night he was stopped over by 5 smiling kremnoans. He hadn’t hoped for the opportunity to ask about their sudden change of heart regarding him but it seemed they didn’t pretend to hide.
“Drink with us tonight” Peucesta offered and Phainon quickly signaled Cyrene to take over at the Elysean camp so he could follow.
Having his sister as his second in command had been a great help during the war. He was grateful Mydei had convinced to bring her along despite it seeming safer for her to stay home in case Phainon didn’t return.
“If I die in battle there is no warranty the nobles will not turn against you and Gorgo, she needs to stay here”
“You will not die in battle, Deliverer, I forbid you”
“You always complain about my optimism…you know…”
“I know about war, that’s why I know that in order to return home you need our best, that includes Cyrene, take Hyacine too, they’ll bring you back to us and there would be no need for contingence plans”
He had replayed that discussion with Mydei maybe a thousand times since leaving home. He missed him more every time.
Ptolomy, Perdikkas, Peucesta, Leonnius and Hephaestion did somewhat remind him of his husband. Not because they looked similar, being half brothers they were not more similar than most kremnoans, but there was something to the way they talked and presented themselves that was familiar, surely something to do with having grown up together.
“To this stupid war finally ending!” Hephaestion toasted as they all had their wine, not very kremnoan on his part but the others cheered and joined so Phainon decided against commenting on it. He also wanted all that over.
“It seems I’m not the only one excited to go home”
“Even us get tired of fighting” Leonnius reached for a second drink
“Aren’t you expected to fight to death once you return?”
He remembered Mydei telling him that whenever there was conflict or the rightful heir was unclear, the pretenders for the kremnoan throne were required to fight till death as only the strongest was fit to rule.
“Fuck traditions, we’ll just rule together” Perdikkas added “You already took the best out of us so what’s the point?”
“Also, we hope to meet our nephew once this is over. Can’t if 4 of us are dead” Hephaestion offered his drink for the second toast.
“I’m dying to meet him too,” Phainon echoed, raising his own glass.
The next morning they started working on the plan. Most soldiers were completely unaware of what was really going on. They really believed they were being ordered to stock up food and wood in order to return home, that the giant wooden horse they were building was meant to serve as an offering to the gods, a prayer to secure their safe way home. Phainon didn’t like deceiving his own people but it was necessary, only that way the people within the walls of Okhema would believe it was the truth.
It took them three weeks to set the stage but that night all would end.
Phainon crouched inside the horse along the five kremnoan generals who had volunteered for the mission. The rest of their army had to keep the charade.
The soldiers retreated to their ships, all food and equipment was retrieved and in the place they had camped for the best part of the last 10 years only a solitary wooden horse stood.
They felt the horse moving with them inside, the plan had worked out.
Along with deceiving his own people, Phainon had managed to fool Caenis spies.
They had been a huge problem since the start of the war, they had found a few and got them killed but they had never truly eradicated them and that had caused many defeats.
But now, he had managed to use that intelligence against the okhemans, he had goaded them into stealing their offering to the gods, offered them the chance to humiliate the amphorean alliance once more and they had taken it.
After 10 years, they were inside the walls of Okhema and as the night fell and the city went quiet the real plan went into action.
“Once we leave the horse we have to be quick, if they find us before we manage to open the doors then it’s the end” Phainon had told his companions as they prepared to hide inside the horse.
“Who do you take us for? There is no more disciplined army than the Kremnoan" Peucesta answered with a smirk
“Just tell us what to do and it’s done” Leonnius added
“Never thought I would see the day you would accept orders from me”
“We might be prideful but not stupid, Phainon of Aedes Eliseae. Do you think we didn’t notice over the last 10 years every time we followed your plan we would come out victorious and every time we didn’t a catastrophe would ensue?” If Hephaestion wasn’t smiling Phainon would have been worried about angering the men he was supposed to be locked up with for 12 hours. “I might not like you, but I know that if someone can end this wretched war is you…now, tell us what to do”
As they left the horse in the death of night no soldier was keeping watch, just like they expected.
They moved in complete synchrony, like people who had been fighting side by side for ten years would. Leonnius charged into the center of the city, killing everyone who crossed him. Peucesta climbed the walls, ending the archers on the ward. Hephaestion infiltrated the castle, he would have the honor of getting rid of Caenis and her council of elders. Ptolomy would run to the city doors and open them. Perdikkas would burn the armories, leaving the city completely defenseless. And Phainon, he would climb to the highest point in the city and send the signal to their hidden army outside the walls, so the real attack would start.
From his vantage point he could see the archers falling from the walls. The smoke of fire rising into the night and finally the huge doors that had kept them at bay for ten years opened.
Phainon fired three arrows covered in copper and fire, the green flames illuminated the night and the Amphorean soldiers knew it was time to attack.
1…2…5…10, exactly ten seconds and countless armored figures crossed the door, filling the city that up until then had been impenetrable.
“Mydei, Gorgo…I’m finally going back home” he murmured to himself as the smell of smoke and blood filled the air.
If he focused enough he could hear the cries of his baby… but it wasn’t him, it couldn't be him, he should be a ten years old boy by now.
“Not your baby, but one” a raspy and deep voice resounded on his head. Not his nor no ones he had ever met, it wasn’t the type of voice you could ever forget or misplace.
“A god” he supplied, he had dealt with enough deities along his life to be able to tell when he had caught the attention of one. Whom then? As an answer to the question he never voiced a tall man materialised beside him; long white hair and deep cuts crossing his ample chest, golden blood flowing inside the permanently open wounds “Nanook” he corrected himself.
The king of gods, the master of destruction. It was fitting, where else could be the avatar of mayhem than observing as the holy city of Okhema was reduced to ashes?
A cloaked figure appeared out of nowhere behind Phainon’s back, he barely managed to avoid the dagger pointed at his neck and cut the assailant with his great sword. Yet his steel never made contact with anything. After a swing of his weapon there was no one else there, just Phainon and the silent god who observed the massacre beneath them with rapt attention.
“You did that?” He asked, forcing himself to keep calm. Gods were, by principle, not to mess with but Nanook was between the most powerful and dangerous.
“A warning” his lips didn’t move but the voice resounded inside Phainon’s skull “You think yourself unbeatable Phainon of Aedes Elyseae, but no one, no god nor mortal, is above destiny”
“If I can’t avoid it, why do you show me?”
“Never said you couldn’t stop it… that’s why it is a warning” He smiled, if there was a god you never wanted to see smile it was Nanook “The baby crying inside the tower on your left, his parents died not long ago…gruesomely executed by emperor Cerydra for the crime of assassinating her lover, it was quite the spectacle… your brother in law should have killed his grandmother by now, the baby is the only one of his bloodline left”
A chill ran through Phainon’s spine. The last offspring of Caenis’s bloodline. The last remaining of her legacy.
“You want me to kill a baby?”
“His people killed and starved yours for 10 years”
“He is innocent”
“For now….”
“What do you mean?”
“The future I showed you, it’ll happen if you don’t know what’s necessary to stop it but you are still too weak”
“There is nothing I won’t do to return home”
“That baby, he is destined to grow up to avenge his family…you can fight back now but what of when he becomes a man and you an elder, no longer young and strong and unbeatable. That’s when he will strike against you and your loved ones”
“He is just a baby, he doesn’t know, I could take him back home and raise as my own”
“He will burn Aedes Eliseae to the ground, your subjects, friends and family, all will perish”
“Or I can send him faraway, to Styxia or Dolos, he doesn’t need to know about his past, he could grow up a normal child”
“The gods will make him know the truth, he will follow you till the end of the world…unless you put an end to it tonight”
“I can’t”
“You’ve already killed hundreds of his countrymen, of his relatives even…what’s the difference?”
“He is just a baby, not a warrior…he has no blame here”
“Have the villagers whose houses are burning right now beneath our feets? The soldiers who followed their queen? The truth of war is that there is no difference between the guilty and the innocent, there is only havoc”
“There has to be another way…”
“You can’t outwit destiny, Phainon of Aedes Elyseae, it’s either him or you…your choice”
The way the voice sounded on his mind let him know it was true. He couldn't trick destiny, he either played the god’s game or perished.
He took the first step towards the tower, leaving a smiling Nanook at his back.